Gin



R. W. MCLEAN Nov. 30, 1937.

GIN

Filed April 17, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l R. W. MCLEAN Nov. 30, 1937.

Filed April 17, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 www R. W. MCLEAN Nov. 30, 1937.

GIN

Filed April 17, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. W. MCLEAN Nov. 30, 1937.

GIN

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 17, 1935 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-Ice GIN Application April 17, 1935, Serial No. 16,782

28 Claims.

This invention pertains to machinery for delinting cotton seed, and relates more particularly to the breast-board structure of a linter gin. A linter gin commonly comprises as essential ele- 5 ments a saw cylinder and grate-fall, a doifer brush, a float roll in a roll-box above the gratefall, and a rake-head at the lower part of the roll-box. The breast-board, which constitutes the front wall of the roll-box, is usually pivoted near its top so that it may be swung forwardly, away from its operative position, thereby to eX- pose and permit removal of the saw cylinder. When in operative position, the breast-board, or as it is sometimes called, the seed-board, is usually held in place by means of a plurality of bolts,

each having a hand wheel or equivalent adjusting means. The rake-head reaches down from the lower edge of the breast-board toward the grate-fall and its adjustment toward or from the latter determines, to some degree at least, the neness or closeness of out, that is to say, the length of ber left adhering to the seed after the delinting operation. In usual prior constructions, the rake-head is movably secured to the breastboard and is adjustable relatively to the latter, but with such an arrangement it is not easy to obtain the desired accuracy of adjustment or to provide adequate stiffness and rigidity at the lower portion of the transversely elongate breast or seed-board.

In accordance with the present invention, the rake-head is rigidly fixed to the breast-board, and the latter is pivotally supported, and movement of the breast-board about its pivotal support is depended upon for adjusting the rake-head toward and from the grate-fall. In so swinging the breast-board about its pivotal support, it is not desirable to have the upper edge of the breastboard move forwardly or rearwardly, since such movement would materially change the shape of the roll-box cavity and vary the width of the seed passage leading into the roll-box. To avoid this diiculty, the present invention provides for supporting the breast-board to swing about an axis forward of the seed passage and as near to the upper edge of the breast-board as is practicable. To permit the improved breast-board with its rake-head to be applied to existing linters, it is proposed to provide appropriate supporting members, applicable to the frames of existing machines, to acommodate the new board and associated parts.

Whenever the saw cylinder is to be removed for repairs or replacement, it is necessary to dump the seed from the roll-.box and to move the breast structure away from the saws, but such movement of the breast-board necessarily moves the rake-head away from its previously carefully adjusted position relatively to the grate-fall.

As already stated, adjustment of the rake-head with reference to the grate-fall determines the closeness of out, and it is very desirable to maintain this adjustment once made, in order to insure uniformity of staple and quality in the output. However, usual arrangements for holding the breast-board in operative position, make no provision whereby a previous setting of the rakehead may be reobtained, when the breast-board is restored to operative position after having been removed therefrom, except by cut-and-try methods which are wasteful of the operators time and may seriously impair the quality of the product during a prolonged period of experimental adjustment. Moreover, it is sometimes desirable to change the setting of the rake-head, for example to take a different length of cut or in readiness to operate upon the seed of a different grade or character and then at a later time to go back to the original setting, but prior machines make no provision for readily restoring a previous adjustment or setting of the rake-head. In accordance with the present invention, changes may be made in the setting of the rake-head at will, and then at any later time the original setting may readily and accurately be restored. Thus, the linter may be adjusted so as to reproduce a previous product and/or capacity of output without experiment and without the assistance of a highly skilled operator or loss in quality or quantity of product.

Further, usual prior arrangements make no provision for so adjusting the rake-head to the same extent throughout its entire length, so as to insure a uniform cut at all points of the gratefall. As noted, it is common to adjust the breastboard by means of a plurality of independently actuable bolts or the like, but if, for example, seed or other obstructions lodge beneath one end of the breast-board, or, if through mere carelessness on the part of the operator, the bolts at one end of the board are set up tighter than those at the other end, the board is subjected to undue stress and the product of the machine will be uneven and imperfect.

In accordance with the present invention, the lower portion of the breast-board may be made very stiif and rigid so as to provide an adequate support for the rake-head and thereby prevent the latter from springing away from the grate- Afall at :any point in its length, while at the same time providing for accurate adjustment of the rake-head and for uniformity of setting of the latter across the entire width of the gin. Further, I provide readily releasable means, normally holding the breast-board in selected position of adjustment, but of such character as to insure exact resetting to the previous adjustment, or to any other selected and predetermined ladjustment, after the breast-board has been moved out from and back to its operative position.

Moreover, I provide indicating means, operative at all times to show the particular setting at which the machine is operating, thereby enabling the manager or other person responsible for the quality of the output of the mill, to See at a glance whether the Ina/,Chine has been properly adjusted.

Other advantages and objects of the present invention will be pointed out at greater length in the detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein -Fie- 1 is a fragmentary Side elevation. te ,Small Scale, of a lnter sin embodying the present invention;

Fie- 2 is a from elevation of the ein. with Certain parts omitted or broken away;

Fig. 3 is e fragmentary vertical seetien, t0 lar-eer scale, in a plane perpendicular t0 the Saw cylinder shaft, showing details of the improved breast-beard Construction;

Fig, i is a fragmentary side elevation from the same side of the machine as Fig. 1, but to larger scale, showing details of the'adjusting mecha- 11.15.111;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views similar to Fig. {1r-but with certain parts in sectiqn on a plane perpendiular to the saw cylinder Y Shaft, ,Showing the adjusting devices in different positions of adjustment;

Fie 'i is e fragmentary front elevation 0f the improved breast structure to larger scale than Fg- 2.;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a patch member applicable to linter gins of usual type for supporting the improved breast structure herein dis- Closed;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary end elevation showing the slot for` thev adjusting shaft and the abutment Fig.r10 is a fragmentary elevation, showing a simple form of retainer device which may be used at one side of the machine in place .of the retainer d evice shown in FigA; and

Fig- 1l is a side elevation, shewing the retainer hook of Fig. 4, detached from its actuating devices. Y

The invention is herein illustrated by way of Speeie example as embodied in e limer .ein 0f the general type disclosed in the patent to McLean, No. 1,599,024, dated September '7, 1 926, but it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its utility to embodiment in this particular type of gin.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals I and 2A designate the opposite side frame members, respectively, of the gin, such frame members providing supports for the bearings for the opera.- tive elements of the gin, the side frames being connected in usual manner bycross rails and other structural elements. The side frame members I 'and 2 support the bearings for the shaft of the sawV cylinder 3 (Figs. 3, r5, 6) which may be of any usual type and which comprises .the spaced saws 3R The gin also comprises the breast structure which is pivotally supported upon a transverse shaft 4 (Figs. 1, 2, 3) so that it may be swung up away from the saw cylinder when it is desired to remove the saw cylinder for sharpening. This breast structure comprises the end members 5 and B which are disposed substantially in the same vertical planes as the end frames I and 2, and which are connected by certain longitudinally extending parts which hold them in properly spaced relation. The breast structure also comprises the forwardly concave member 'I (Fig. 3) constituting the rear wall of the roll-box 8 in whichy turns the oat roll 9. The grate-fall, comprising the spaced bars IG, extends downwardly and forwardly from the member 'I to a transverse supporting rail II at the front of the gin. The breast structure also comprises the rearwardly concave member I2 forming the front lining or wall of the roll-box, said member I2 being carried by brackets I3 which are bolted to the breast-board Id.. This breast-board is preferably formed of wood and its opposite ends are arranged to abut the inner surfaces of the end members 5 and 6 of the breast structure. Preferably a wooden bar Ide extends transversely through the openings in the several brackets I3, so as to keep them in alignment and to provide a very rigid and unyielding structure. Below the brackets another bar or rail I5 extends transversely from one side to the other of the breast-board so as to make the latter very stiff and rigid at its lower part. The breast or seed-board supports the rake-head comprising the member I5 which, in effect, forms aV downward continuation of the lining or wall I2, and the raketeeth I'l which project down between the saws 3a of the saw cylinder. The rake teeth are preferably formed as integral projections from a transverse metal bar I8 which is secured to bracketmembers I9 bo-lted to the lower part of the seed-board I4. With this construction the entire rake-head structure is very.rigidly supported so that it can not yield under pressure of the roll of seed cotton in the roll-box, and being permanently and rigidly affixed to the breast or seed-board, the 'rakefhead must partake of any movements of the latter.

The breast or seed-board is pivotally supported to swing from front to rear by means of a shaft 20 providing a horizontal axis at a point closely adjacent to the front upper edge of the roll-box, that is to say, the point at which the `front wall I2a of the seed passage 2| intersects the front lining or Wall I2 of the roll-box. By thus locating the axisV about which the seed-board swings, the front-to-rear movement of the loweredge of the seed-board does not substantially change the Width of the paSSeage 2I, nor to any ap preciable extent vary the capacity of the roll-box.

The members 5 and S are provided with arcuate slots 22 (Figs. l and 3) near their upper corners, such slots being concentric with the axis of shaft 2l?V and receiving locking bolts 23 which pass through openings inthe end members 5 and and are threaded into openings in brackets 24 carried by the breast-board said bolts being provided with hand Wheels 23a by means of which the bolts may be turned thereby to lock the seedboard in adjusted position.

The lower part of the seed-board is provided with bearing brackets 2 5 at its front face, near its opposite ends, and also with a bearing bracket 257L near its center, and these brackets provide bearings for a transverse shaft 2,6 which extends across the entire width of the breast or seedboard and projects outwardly at its Opposite ends through curved slots 24a in -end members 5 and 6. On the opposite end portionsk of this shaft, where they extend outwardly beyond the end members 5 and 6, respectively, eccentrics 21 (Fig. 4) and 28 (Fig. l) are splined, such eccentrics being provided with the eccentric straps 2S and 3D, respectively. Preferably each eccentric strap is split and provided with outstanding ears 3l and 32 which receive the clamping boltv 33 by means of which, if desired, the eccentricV straps-may be clamped to their eccentrics so as to turn with the latter when the shaft is rotated. It is preferable to screw thread the opposite ends o f the shafts and to provide them with nuts 34 which may be screwed up tight against the eccentrics.

In accordance with the arrangement specifically illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 1l, the eccentric strap 29 is provided withan outstanding lug 35 to which is pivotally secured the shank 36 of a retainer hook 31, such hook member having the recess 38 (Fig. 11) and preferably an inclined cam surface 39 leading to the recess. The eccentric strap is also furnished with a lug 4l! having a bore which receives a pivot pin 4| (Fig. 4) provided with a transverse screw-threaded opening which receives one end of an adjusting bolt 42,-screw threaded at its opposite endswith right and left threads, respectively. The opposite end of this member 42' has screw-threaded engagement with an opening in a transverse pin 43 which turns in an opening 43a (Fig. 11) near the free end of the member 35. Thus by turning the member 42, the position of the recess 38 in the hook member may be varied with reference to the axis of the shaft 25.

Each of the end members and'S, respectively, is provided with a socket 46 (Fig. 9) or preferably a plurality of such sockets spaced respectively different distances from the axis of shaft 26, and an abutment pin 49 is removably seated in said socket, and may be moved at will, from one socket to the other, if a plurality of sockets are pro-` vided. 'Ihe abutment pin is of a size such as to fit snugly within the bottom of the recess 38 in the hook 3l, andwhen the latter engages the abutment pin the seed-board isheld immovable except for such adjustment as is provided for by turning the shaft and the eccentric 21, or by turning the bolt 42.

While such an adjustable retainer member as that just described may, if desired, be provided at each side of the machine, it is not necessary to employ such an adjustable retainer hook at both sides, and preferably a simpler form of retainer device is used at one end of the machine. Thus the eccentric strap (Fig. l0) may be pravided with a projecting lug 5l! constituting the shank of the hook 5l having the recess 52 and inclined cam face 53 leading to the recess. (Both the recesses 38 and 52 have concentric arcuate walls which are coaxial with the shaft 25.)

Preferably each hook member has associated therewith a safety latch,-the latch 45, which is associated with the hook 37, being pivoted to vthe latter upon a pin 44, while the corresponding latch 54 (Fig. 10), which is associated with the hook 5l, is pivoted to the latter at the point 54a, such latches preventing accidental disengagement of the hooks from the abutment pins 49.

Adjacent to the central bearing bracket 25a, the sha-ft 25 is furnished with a collar 55 (Figs. 2 and 7) which is keyed to the shaft and which is preferably provided with a series of socket openings 55 for the reception of a Spanner wrench by means of which the shaft may be turned. Preferably'the periphery of the collar v55 is graduated, as shown at 51, for cooperation with a xed index 58 on the peripheral surface of arflange 59 forming a part of the bearing bracket 25a.

A shaft limiting stop 6! is normally fixed to the shaft 25 adjacent to the bracket 25a, and between the latter and a fixed collar 60a. This limiting stop 60 is provided with a downwardly directed arm having a socket (Fig. 3) in its inner face for the reception of the forward end of a compression spring 6| whose rear end is seated in a socket in a plate 62 secured to the front face of the seed-board. The limiting stop also has an upwardly extending arm 64 which normally bears against a stop plate 65 secured to the front face of the seed-board.' The limiting stop has a hub portion. having a bore which receives the shaft 26, and this hub is split and provided with outstanding ears 65 and 6l which receive a clamping bolt 58 whereby the stop is normally fixed to the shaft.

It setting the machine up for operation it is first determined within what general operative range theteeth I1 of the rake-head are to be placed in use, and then the pin 49 is placed in that one of the socket openings 46 which most closely corresponds to this desired operative range. This selective positioning of the pin 49 represents a coarse adjustment of the rake-head. Having placed the pins at opposite ends of the machine in the selected socket openings in the end members 5 and 6, the hooks 3'! and 5! .are engagedwith these pins so that the pins lie within the recesses 38 and 52, respectively. The engagement of the pins in the recesses is facilitated by the cam surfaces 39 and 53 which ride on the pins and guide the pins into the recesses.

For the linitial setting of the machine, the clamping bolts 33 may be loosened and also the bolt 68 which connects the stop member @El to the shaft 26. A Spanner Wrench is then applied to the collar 55 and the shaft 26 is rotated until the rake-head l'! has been accurately placed radially, with reference to the saws of the cylinder. it being obvious that the rotation of the shaft will, under such conditions, turn the eccentrics within their straps and thus bodily move the shaft 25 (with its bearings, the breast-board and rake-head) toward or from the pins 49 which form fixed abutments with which the hook members engage.

In making this initial adjustment it may be necessary to operate the gin and watch the output and then make further adjustments until the proper relation of the rake-head to the saw cylinder has been secured. Since the seed-board is of substantial length, measured from one side of the gin to the other, and since it is difficult to make apparatus of this type with great precision, it may be desirable to adjust the rake-head radi ally of the saw cylinder at one side of the machine relatively to its adjustment at the other side. For this purpose the adjustable connection between the hook member 3l and the eccentric 2l, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, is useful. Thus by turning the member 42, one end of the shaft 26 may be moved relative to the corresponding abutment pin 49 without changing the relative position of the shaft and pin at the other end of the machine.

In Figs. 5 and 6, different adjustments of the rake-head are shown, respectively, by way of comparison. Thus in Fig. 5 the rake-head teeth Il extend deeply between the saw blades while at Fig. 6 the rake-head teeth I1 have been retracted to a substantialA extent, as compared with their position in Fig. -5. The corresponding positions of the eccentric 21 are indicated in these figures.

When once the fine adjustment of the rakehead by the turning of the shaft 26 and the eccentrics 21 and 28 has been attained, the eccentric straps are clamped firmly about their eccentrics by means of the bolts 33, and the stop member 60 is likewise clamped to the shaft by means of the bolt 68. Since the graduations on the collar 55 are always exposed to view, it is possible at any time to note the position of adjustment of the shaft 2B and thus to determine the position of adjustment of the rake-head. Obviously,

n when a desirable setting of the rake-head for a given set of conditions has once been experimentally determined, the corresponding index read.- ing may be recorded, and thus if desireda chart or other form of guiding data prepared whereby the machine may thereafter be set for any selected condition without further experiment.

The machine may now be operated in the usual manner until itis desired, for one reason or an.-

other,-for example to expose the saw cylinder, to swing the breast-board forwardly away from its operative position. To do this the clamping nuts 2?a and 34 are first re1eased,the safety latches 45 and 54 are, swung away from the pins 49, and then the operator, by pressing rearwardly against the lower arm of the stop member, may turnl the shaft 25 through a substantial angle thereby simultaneously lifting `both retainer hooks 31 and 5! fromoiif theV corresponding pins 4), as shown in broken lines in Fig. 10. The seed-board may nowfreely be swung forwardly, thereby carrying the rake-head completely out of operative position relatively to the saw cylinder. If desired, Vthe, breast or seedboard may be removed completely from the other parts of the breast structure at this time, for example, to expose` the float roll or the grate-fall for repairs or inspection.

When the parts are to be restored to operative position, the breast-board is replaced, if it has been removed, and in any event is swung downwardly about its shaft 20 and its lower part is pushed inwardly until the hooks 31and 5l snap over the retaining pins 49. This action is permitted by the yielding spring 6I, which allows the shaft 26 to turn suficiently to allow the hooks to rise. Then as the pins enter the recesses in the hooks, the spring 5I turns the shaft in reverse direction, thus causing the recesses of the hooks to engage over the pins. The member 6G is thus turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, until its upper arm 64 engages the plate 65 which limits further turning of the shaft which assures. restoration of the parts to their original position. Since the seating of the rake-head has not been disturbed, in thus swinging the seed-board forwardly, the machine is now in position to resume its operation without the necessity of any further adjustment. Moreover, the manager or other person responsible for the proper operation of the machine may, at any time, by mere inspection of the graduated dial 55, determine at what setting the machine is operating, and may thus easily note whether the -machine operator has made any changes in the setting of the machine during its use. Moreover, if for any reason the setting of the machine must be changed, for example in arranging it to operate upon a different type of material, it may readily be reset to its original adjustment merely by turning the shaft 26, as above described until the graduations on the dial correspond to the previous setting. Thus with this arrangement it is not necessary, each time the machine is set up for operation, to make a long experimental run to determine the proper adjustment before the machine can be put into actual production. It may further be noted that the machine as above described is capable of working through a wide range, since it provides both for coarse adjustment to determine within which particular operative range it is to run, and then by the fine adjustment provided by the eccentrics, a very accurate setting within any selective range may be secured. Y,

As thus far described, the apparatus has been disclosed as embodied in a breast structure specifically designed to accommodate the improved adjusting mechanism, but since it may be desirable to embody this adjusting mechanism in existing gins, it is proposed, in accordance with the present invention, to provide patches which may readily be applied to the end members of Y existing breast structures and which, when thus applied, accommodate the adjusting mechanism hereinabove described. Thus, for example, in Fig. 8, the end member 5a is of a type commonly employed in linter gins, but is shown as having been cut away at its forward upper corner for the reception of the patch member 'l0 which may be bolted to the member 5a, and which is furnished with the curved slot 24D corresponding to the slot 24', above described. The end member 5E is also shown as having applied thereto the patch 'H having the curved slot 24 corresponding to the slot 24, above described. As indicated inv broken lines at 24 certain portions of the end member 5a are cut away to avoid obstruction of the slot 24?. The end member 5a is also provided with the recess 2|]a for the reception of the shaft 20 about which the breast-board swings. The patch 'll is furnished with spaced openings 46a which correspond to the openings 46 of the frame member 5, and which are adapted selectively to receive the pin 49 with which the hook 31 engages.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have been disclosed by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of embodiment in other specific constructions and that any equivalent arrangements including substitutions of materials, changes in proportion and relative arrangement of parts are to be regarded as within the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A gin comprising a frame, a saw cylinder supported thereby, a breast structure comprising a grate-fall, a rake-head and seed-board, means rigidly uniting the rake-head to the seed-board, means supporting the seed-board to swing about a horizontal axis adjacentto its upper-edge, adjusting devices adjacent to each side of the gin respectively y for adjustably holding thel seedboard and rake-head in operative position, common means for simultaneously actuating the adjusting devices at both sides of the gin, and means operative to vary the adjustment at one side of the gin Without aifecting the adjustment at the other side of the gin.

2. A gin comprising a frame, a seed-board, a grate-fall and a rake-head, means connecting the rake-head to the seed-board, means so supporting the seed-board that it may be moved from operative position, engageable parts comprising a pin and a hook, one of said parts being carried by the seed-board and the other b'y the frame, spaced positioning means for the pin designed to hold the pin at any one of a plurality of definite positions, means for moving one of said engageable parts relatively to its support, thereby to provide for a ne adjustment of the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall, and index means operative to show such ne adjustment of the rake-head and grate-fall, said index means being so designed and arranged that its setting is not disturbed in moving the seed-board out of operative position.

3. A gin having a frame, a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wall of a roll-box and a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, means supporting the breast-board to swing about an axis adjacent to the front upper edge of the rollbox, means for swinging the breast-board about said axis whereby to adjust the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall, two relatively movable parts supported by the breast-board, index means to show the relative position of said parts, a third part carried by the machine frame with which one of said relatively movable parts is normally engaged thereby to position the seedboard, and means providing for a plurality of definitely spaced and xed predetermined positions of adjustment for said third part.

4. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wall of a roll-box and a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, means supporting the breast-board to swing about an axis adjacent to the front upper edge of the roll-box, adjusting means including relatively movable parts, of which one is a pin and the 'other a hook which normally engages the pin but which may be disengaged therefrom, one of said parts being bodily movable into any one of a plurality of definitely fixed predetermined positions thereby to provide for a coarse adjustment of the rake-head', one of said parts being supported by an eccentric strap, an eccentric, means operative to turn the eccentric thereby to provide a ne adjustment for the rake-head, and index means designed and arranged to show the angle through which the eccentric is turned.

5. A gin having a frame, a breast structure including a grate-fall and a rake-head, means supporting the rake-head for bodily movement toward and from the grate-fall, and securing means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the grate-fall, said securing means comprising a hook carried by the breast structure, a normally fixed pin engageable by the hook, the frame having a plurality of spaced sockets for selectively receiving the pin, said hook and pin being designed and arranged to hold the rake-head in either of a plurality of operative regions corresponding to the several selective postions of adjustment of the pin, the securing means also comprising parts designed and arranged to provide a ne adjustment of the rakehead relatively to the grate-fall within each of said operative regions.

6. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wall of a roll-box and a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, means supporting the breast-board to swing about an axis adjacent to the front upper edge of the roll-box, retaining means normally operative xedly to hold the is within operative range of the grate-fall, said retaining means comprising hooks and abutments with which the hooks normally engage, said abutments being movable at vwill to denite xed and predetermined positions, thereby to provide a coarse adjustment for the rake-head, the hooks being separable from the abutments to permit the breast-board to be so swung as to carry the rake-head entirely out of said operative range, the retaining means also including relatively adjustable parts operative to position the rake-head at any desired point Within said operative range, and index means which at all times shows the position of adjustment of the rakehead.

7. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall and a rake-head, means supporting the rake-head for bodily movement toward and from the grate-fall and securing means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the gratefall, said securing means comprising a normally xed abutment pin movable into either of a plurality of selected positions, a retainer element detachably engageable with the abutment pin, an eccentric constituting a support for the retainer element, a shaft bodily movable with the rakehead and constituting a support for the eccentric, and means for turning the shaft.

8. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a breast-board, and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the breast-board and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the breastboard, said adjusting means comprising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the breast-board, an eccentric disk Iixed to the shaft, an eccentric strap embracing the disk, a retainer connected to the eccentric strap, a normally fixed abutment pin carried by the frame, the retainer normally engaging the pin whereby to hold the breast-board in operative position, and means for turning the shaft thereby to impart a fine adjustment motion to the rake-head. Y

9. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wall of a roll-box and a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, means supporting the breast-board to swing about an axis adjacent to the front upper edge of the roll-box, retaining means normally operative to hold the breastboardin such position that the rake-head is within operative range of the grate-fall, said retaining means comprising a normally fixed pin and a hook normally engaging the pin but disengageable therefrom at will, the retaining means also comprising relatively adjustable elements operative to move the rake-head to any selected position Within said range while the hook is still engaged with its pin.

10. A gin having a frame supporting a saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wall of a roll-box, and a rake-head rigidly secured to the lower part of the breastboard, means supporting the breast-board tor swing about a substantially horizontal axis adjacent to the front upper edge of the roll-box, retaining Vmeans normally operative to hold the breast-board in such position that the rake-head is within operative range of the grate-fall, said retaining means comprising hook members and abutments with which the hook members normally engage but from which they are disengageable at will thereby to permit the breast-board to swing and carry the rake-head entirely out of said operative range, the retaining means also comprising an eccentric and an eccentric strap,

and means operative to turn the eccentric thereby to vary the position of the rake-head within said operative range.

11. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a seed-board and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the seed-board, and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the grate-fall, said adjusting means comprising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the seed-board, an eccentric disk fixed to the shaft, an eccentric trap embracing the disk, a hook connected to the eccentric strap, a normally fixed abutment pin carried by the frame with which the hook is normally engaged to hold the seed-board in operative position, and means for turning the shaft thereby to impart a ne adjusting motion to the rake-head.

12. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a seed-board and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the seed-board and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the seed-board, said adjusting means comp-rising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the seed-board, an eccentric disk fixed to the shaft, an eccentric strap embracing the disk, a hook connected to the eccentric strap, a normally fixed abutment carried by the frame with which the hook normally engages to hold the seed-board in operative position, means for turning the shaft through a rela.- tively small angle to impart a fine adjusting movement to the rake-head, means for clamping the eccentric strap to the eccentric disk, and

means operative to turn the shaft through a large angle thereby to disengage the hook from the abutment.

13. A gin including a` frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a seed-board and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the seed-board and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the seed-board, said adjusting means comprising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the seed-board, an eccentric disk fixed to the shaft, an eccentric strap embracing the disk, a hook connected to the eccentric strap, a normally fixed pin carried by the frame with which the` hook normally engages to hold the seed-board in operative position, means for temporarily clamping the eccentric strap to the eccentric so that it turns with the latter, means for moving the shaft through an angle sufficient to disengage the hook from the pin, and means operative to restore the shaft to its original position when released.

14. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a seed-board and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the seed-board and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the seed-board, said adjusting means comprising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the seed-board, an eccentric disk fixed to the shaft, aneccentric strap embracing the disk, a hook connected to the eccentric strap, a normally fixed pin carried by the frame with which the hook normally engages to hold the seed-board in operative position, means for temporarily clamping the eccentric strap to the eccentric disk so that the strap and hook turn with the shaft, means for turning the shaft quickly through an angle sufficient to disengage the hook from the pin, spring means tending to turn the ,shaft in the opposite direction, and stop means to prevent reverse movement o-f the shaft by the spring beyond its original position.

15. A gin including'a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a seed-board and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the seed-board and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the seed-board, said adjusting means comprising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the seed-board, an eccentric disk fixed to the shaft, an eccentric strap embracing the disk, a hook connected to the eccentric strap, a normally fixed pin carried by the frame with which the hook is normally engaged, means for turning the shaft thereby to adjust the rake-head relatively to the gratefall, and a latch device normally operative to prevent disengagement of the hook from the pin.

16. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a seed-board and a rake-head secured to the lower part of the seed-board, and adjusting means for holding the rake-head in operative relation to the seed-board, said adjusting means comprising a rotary shaft, bearings for the shaft carried by the seed-board, an eccentric disk xed to the'shaft, an eccentric strap embracing the disk', a hook connected to the eccentric strap, a normally xed pin carried by the frame with which the hook engages t0 retain the seed-board in operative position, means for turning the shaft thereby to adjust the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall, and means operative to adjust the hook relatively to the eccentric strap.

17. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a breast structure comprising a grate-fall, a seed-board, a rake-head at the lower part of the seed-board, pivot means uniting the seed-board to the frame so that the seed-board may swing about a horizontal axis adjacent to its upper edge, a normally fixed pin projecting from theframe, a hook member engageable with the pin for holding the seed-board in operative position, and means adjustably uniting the hook to the seed-board thereby to permit adjustment of the seed-board and rake-head relatively to the grate-fall.

18. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a breast structure comprising a grate-fall, a seed-board, a rake-head at the lower part of the seed-board, pivot means uniting the seed-board to the frame so that the seedboard may swing about a horizontal axis adjacent toits upper edge, the frame having a plurality of spaced sockets, a pin selectively engageable with any of said sockets, and a hook carried by the seed-board, said hook being engageable with the pin when the latter is seated in any selected one of said sockets thereby to hold the seed-board in operative position, said hook and movable pin affording a coarse adjustment for the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall.

19. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a breast structure comprising a grate-fall, a seed-board, a rake-head at the lower part of the seed-board, pivot means uniting the seed-board to the frame so that the seed-board may swing about a horizontal axis adjacent to its upper edge, the frame having a plurality of spaced sockets, a pin selectively engageable with any of said sockets, a hook carried by the seed-board and engageable with the pin when the latter is seated in any of said sockets, means connecting the hook and seed-board, the hook with the movable pin constituting a coarse adjustment for the seed-board relatively to the grate-fall,- and means for moving the hookrelatively to the seed-board thereby to provide a fine adjustment for the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall.

20. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a breast structure comprising a grate-fall, a seed-board, a rake-head at the lower part of the seed-board, pivot means uniting the seed-board to the frame so that the seedboard may swing about a horizontal axis adjacent to its upper edge, a normally xed pin projecting from the frame, a hook member united at one end to the seed-board and comprising a hook portion engageable with the pin for holding the seed-board in operative position, and manually actuable adjusting means for varying the eiective length of the hook thereby to permit adjustment of the seed-board and rake-head relatively to the grate-fall, said manually actuable adjusting means comprising a rotary member, and index means including a part fixed t said rotary member, the index means being so designed and arranged as at all times to show the position of adjustment of the rake-head.

2l. A gin including a frame which supports a rotary saw cylinder, a breast structure comprising a grate-fall, a breast-board, and a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, pivot means uniting the breast-board to the frame so that the breast-board may swing about the horizontal axis, retaining means normally operative xedly to hold the breast-board in such position that the rake-head is within operative range of the grate-fall, said retaining means comprising a pair of pins disposed respectively adjacent to opposite ends of the breast structure, said pins normally being xed, a link member normally engaging each of said pins but disengageable therefrom at will, the retaining means alsol comprising a set of relatively adjustable elements at each end respectively of the breast structure and mounted thereon, one of said relatively adjustable elements of each set being pivotally united to the corresponding link member, a rotary shaft extending from one side to the other of the breast-board, one of the relatively adjustable elements of each of said sets being fixedly secured to said shaft whereby rotation of the shaft simultaneously adjusts the corresponding element of each set, and index means for showing the angular position of said shaft.

22. A machine of the class described comprising a frame and ginning mechanism supported thereby, said ginning mechanism includp ing a grate-fall and a rake-head, a rake-head support, means defining a pivotal axis about which the rake-head support may swing, and a retaining device adjacent to each side of the machine, respectively, normally operative to prevent swing of the rake-head, each retaining device being of variable length, connecting means normally attaching one end of each retaining device to the rake-head support, connecting means normally attaching the opposite end of each retaining device to the machine frame, the connecting means at one end at least of each retaining device being detachable, means common to the two retaining devices operative simultaneously and to the same extent to vary the effective lengths of the retaining devices thereby to adjust the position of the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall, and index means to show the degree of such adjustment.

23. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wallof Va roll-box; a rakeehead at 'the lower part of the breast-board, means supporting the breastboard to swing about an axis adjacent to its upper edge, retaining means at each side of the gin normally operative xedly to hold the breast-board in a predetermined position, said retaining means including a normally xed anchorage element at each side of the gin and a holding device including a swinging part having pivotal connection at one end to the anchorage element, a manually rotatable shaft extending from one side to the other of the gin, bearings carried by the breastboard, the bearings having cylindrical journal openings inV which the shaft may turn but in which it can not move laterally, an eccentrically disposed element secured to the shaft adjacent to each side of the gin, respectively, each such eccentrically disposed element normally constituting a support for the other end of said swinging part of one of the respective holding devices, means f for turning the shaft thereby to vary the distance between the axis of the shaft and the xed anchorage elements so as to adjust the position of the breast-board, and index means including a graduated collar concentric with and xed to the rotary shaft, said index means being operative to enable the operator so to set the shaft as, without experiment, to obtain any selected prior adjustment of the breast-board. Y

24. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front wall of a roll box, a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, supporting means for the breast-board, retaining means for holding the breast-board in operative position such that the rake-head is within a selected operative range of the grate-fall,` said retaining means comprising a pair of rotary adjusting elements disposed adjacent to opposite sides of the gin, respectively, means operative to turn said adjusting elements simultaneously about a common axis, but in paths eccentric to said axis, a holding device actuable by each of said rotary adjusting elements, each holding device normally being pivotally connected to its respective adjusting element, a fixed anchorage at each side of the gin, each holding device comprising a part detachably engageable with the corresponding anchorage, index means operative to show the angular position of said rotary element thereby to enable the operator, without experiment, to obtain any selected prior adjustment of the breast-board, and means operative to fix each holding device to its respective adjusting element whereby rotation of the adjusting elements simultaneously detaches the holding devices from their respective anchorages.

25. A gin comprising a breast-board, a gratefall and a rake-head, means connecting the rakehead to the breast-board, means so supporting the breast-board that it may be moved from operative position, and retaining means normally operative to hold the breast-board at either of a relatively few definitely spaced, predetermined positions only, for a coarse adjustment, means to impart a further, fine adjustment relative to any selected one of said positions of coarse adjustment, and index means carried wholly by the breast-board and so devised and arranged as not to be affected by the coarse adjustment but operative to show such fine adjustment thereby to permit the same setting of the rake-head relatively to the grate-fall, without experiment, after the breast-board has been restored to the operative position that it had before, the retaining means comprising parts which may be disengaged to permit removal of the breast-board from operative position Without disturbing either of said adjustments.

26. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall, a breast-board constituting the front Wall of a roll-box, and a rake-head at the lower part of the breast-board, means supporting the breast-board to swing about an axis adjacent to its upper edge, retaining means normally operative to hold the breast-board in one or another of a plurality of spaced, definitely predetermined positions only, for a coarse adjustment, in each of Which positions the rake-head is Within operative range of the grate-fall, said retaining means comprising relatively movable parts for adjusting the rake-head with a fine adjustment to and from any selected one of said predetermined positions and also comprising disengageable parts permitting the breast-board to be swung to such an extent as to carry the rake-head entirely out of operative range With reference to the gratefall, said parts being disengageable Without affecting either the coarse or ne adjustment, and index means mounted to move bodily with the breast-board and operative to assure the operator that the rake-head has been restored to its original position of ne adjustment, Without eX- periment, when the disengaged parts of the retaining means are again engaged.

27. A gin having a breast structure including a grate-fall and a rake-head, means supporting the rake-head for bodily movement toward and from the grate-fall, retaining means operative selectively to position the rake-head in either of a plurality of predetermined, denitely limited operative regions for a coarse adjustment, and to adjust the rake-head by a fine adjustment within each of said operative regions, and index means Carried by and bodily movable With the breast structure .and which is operative to show the degree of fine adjustment, Within any selected operative region, said retaining means comprising a plurality of relatively movable parts, one of said parts being movable with respect to the machine frame from one to another of a few predetermined positions for the coarse adjustment, two of said parts being relatively movable for the rie adjustment, and tWo of said parts being disengageable without affecting either the coarse or ne adjustment.

28. A gin having a frame supporting a saw cylinder, a grate-fall, a breast-board defining the front Wall of a roll-box, a rake-head adjacent to the lower part of the breast-board, retaining devices adjacent to the opposite sides, respectively, of the gin for normally holding the breast-board and rake-head in operative position, each retaining device comprising a plurality of relatively movable parts, tv/o of said parts being movable with'respectto each other to provide a ne adjustment, and two of said parts being disengageable to permit removal of the breast-board from operative position, said last-named parts being so designed and arranged that mere reengagement of said parts restores the original adjustment, and means, including an index device carried by the breast-board, operative to enable the operator so to adjust said relatively movable parts as, Without experiment, to obtain any selected predetermined prior adjustment of the rake-head relative to the grate-fall.

ROBERT W. McLEAN. 

